The Crucible And The Proctor Relationship Essay

Relationships and Their Repercussions Shakespeare and Miller were two very different writers who were always able to portray great messages in their writing. These two authors were also amazing at setting up relationships between characters in their writing, like Miller’s characters, Abigail and John. Although they bear some minor similarities, the differences between Abigail and John and Hero and Claudio’s relationships are striking. In the play The Crucible and the play Much Ado About Nothing, Miller’s and Shakespeare’s characters Abigail and John and Hero and Claudio, were both put into relationships. Abigail and John’s relationship was unable to work out while Hero and Claudio’s relationship was simple. Miller’s character, John, states

In The Crucible Hale states that “Abigail were stabbed tonight; a needle were found stuck into her belly-” (Miller 76). Abigail had been sitting next to Mary Warren, who at the time was the Proctors helper at home, during a meeting of the court. Mary was making a poppet(doll) for Elizabeth Proctor and she stuck the needle in the poppet’s belly for safe keeping. Mary arrived at the Proctor’s house later and gave the poppet to Goody Proctor. Later in the play Hale comes for Elizabeth when he discovers she has a poppet with a needle in the belly in her possession. Abigail had been “stabbed” in the stomach that night with a needle. Abigail framed Elizabeth so she would later be hung which would leave John able to marry. “The supposition of the lady’s death will quench the wonder of her infamy.” (Shakespeare, 139, Act 4-S. 1). In Much Ado About Nothing Hero has to fake her death after Claudio calls of their wedding when he questions her virtue. In the past night Don John had set up a plan for his friend, Borachio, to take the virtue of a lady named Margaret who was dressed in Hero’s clothes. When Claudio sees Margret with another man, he thinks it is Hero. Even though Abigail was hurting others for her own good she was also hurt, just like Hero. Abigail sacrificed her and her friends safety in order to get close

For example, in Miller’s The Crucible Abigail asks John “What will you tell? You will confess to fornication? In front of the court?” when they are in the woods discussing how John would free Elizabeth no matter what it took. John and Abigail are in the puritan religion which says that adultery is a sin. John is married to Elizabeth, so when he and Abigail have sexual encounters John is committing a sin. Abigail is also not married to John and their religion also says that you can only fornicate with the man you marry after you are married. John and Abigail both go against their religion for their short relationship. In Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare writes “...you were brought into the orchard and saw me court Margaret in Hero’s garments, how you disgraced her when you should marry her.”(pg. 171, Appendix scene). For Claudio and Hero, their religion was strict when it came to marriage, a woman was only good to marry is she still had her virtue. When Hero is framed, Claudio calls off the their wedding since she has supposedly lost her virtue. However Hero followed her religious beliefs closely by saving herself for marriage. Claudio learns about the plan to frame Hero and in the end they get married. Abigail, in Miller’s play, was also very aware of her religion. Abigail was very aware and honoring of her religion at times. On page 44 of Miller’s